Seasonal, healthy and delicious vegetarian recipes, with the occasional cake thrown in for good measure!

Blackberry and Vanilla Scones

This is my 75th recipe I have posted! I can not believe that there are now 75 of my recipes on this blog. As it is a mini celebration I thought I would share one of my new favourite recipes. It is no surprise to anyone who knows me that I love scones, especially cheese scones! This is a sweet scone that has some of my favourite flavours in, blackberries and vanilla.

I always find it very strange having to buy blackberries now as when I was growing up we had a huge bramble bush in our garden. We would get hundreds of blackberries every year and make lots of crumbles and jams with them. Whenever I go and buy them, especially because of the price of them, I wish I still had a bramble plant in my garden.

I have tried a couple of variation of this recipe, with and without dessicated coconut on top. My favourite is with dessicated coconut but it can be left off if you prefer not to have the toasted coconut flavour. These are incredibly simple and quick to make so perfect for a weeknight bake.

Blackberry and Vanilla Scones

Ingredients

225g/8ozself raising flour

1 heaped tsp baking powder

50g/2oz butter

25g/1oz caster sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

75g/3oz fresh blackberries

Milk

Dessicated coconut (optional)

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 220C, line a baking tray.

Put the flour, baking powder and butter into a bowl, then rub the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (or use a freestanding mixer). Stir through the sugar.

Break the egg into a measuring jug, then make up to 150 ml with milk, then add the vanilla extract. Using a fork stir the liquid until the egg has mixed through.

Slowly pour the egg and milk into the flour and mix until it forms a soft dough (leave a little milk in the bottom of the jug to brush over the top before going into the oven). Mix through the blackberries.

Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Knead lightly then using your hands flatten into a circle with a thickness of 1cm.

Cut the circle into 8 segments then place on the baking tray. Brush the tops with the reserved milk and egg then sprinkle some desiccated coconut over the top. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until they are golden.